Mayor Daley, CTA celebrate completion of Brown Line project

Mayor Richard M. Daley,
Chicago Transit Board Chairman Terry Peterson and Chicago Transit Authority
President Richard L. Rodriguez joined federal, state and city officials Jan. 9 at
the Fullerton rail station for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the
completion of 18 station renovations as part of the CTA's $530-million Brown
Line Capacity Expansion Project.

Belmont and Fullerton - the
final two stations to complete construction - were rebuilt in the same
locations and now include elevators for customers with disabilities, making 91
of the CTA's 144 rail stations now accessible. CTA preserved the two historic
stationhouses at each station and relocated them across the street to serve as
secondary entrances.

"The completion of these
two stations and this entire program represents a great enhancement of our
transportation system and moves us closer to our goal of bringing accessible,
reliable service to riders of the Brown Line and to riders of the CTA system
across Chicago," said Mayor Daley. "This project is a good example of how
essential capital investment projects are to the economic growth and
development of our region. I am also happy to report - especially in these
difficult economic times - that this project was completed on time and on budget."

The Brown Line Capacity
Expansion Project was designed to relieve congestion, provide for future growth
by increasing capacity, and improve service delivery, safety and customer
comfort. The project also made the Brown Line accessible to all CTA customers,
in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act guidelines.

The Brown Line is the third
busiest line in the CTA rail system - behind the Red and Blue lines. Between
1979 and 2008, annual ridership on the Brown Line increased by 103.5 percent
from 7,431,066 to 15,122,363.

Prior to the construction
project, most Brown Line stations were not able to accommodate eight-car trains
like other CTA rail lines. It was not unusual for commuters to encounter
several full trains before being able to board a train during the morning rush.
As part of the expansion project, platforms at 16 stations were extended to
provide space for eight-car trains resulting in a one-third increase in
capacity over the six-car configuration. Eight-car train operation began on
March 30, 2008.

In addition to station
renovations, the Brown Line Capacity Expansion Project included building a new
substation and rehabilitating an existing substation to supply the additional
power needed to power eight-car trains; installation of a new signal system at
Clark Junction, the location where Brown, Red and Purple Express trains merge
just north of the Belmont station; and the rehabilitation of the Clark Tower
facility at the junction.

Along with the two new
elevators and the auxiliary entrances and exits at Belmont and Fullerton, other
renovations include: accessible turnstiles; escalators to each platform;
brighter lighting; new signs including Braille, and bike racks.

Original artwork was also
part of the overall station renovations as the result of the partnership
between CTA and the City of Chicago's Department of Cultural Affairs. Derick
Malkemus created the art sculpture in front of the historic station at
Fullerton entitled ‘Landslide' and artist Michael Dinges' mosaic, ‘Doors Open
Everywhere at Fullerton' appears inside the new station on the rear wall. At
Belmont, David Lee Csicsko's mosaics appear throughout the station - ‘We All
Ride the Train Together' is featured on the rear wall of the new stationhouse;
while Jerald Jacquard created the sculpture ‘Space Junction of Energy' on the
outdoor plaza of the historic station.

Funding for the Brown Line
capacity expansion project was made possible through a combination of federal
and non-federal funds. In 2004, the CTA was the recipient of a federal Full
Funding Agreement Grant totaling $245.52 million.